What's new?
TinkerTool System 4 Version History

Version 4.97 (Build 180411)

Added new user interface to the product activation and evaluation
features in order to be compliant with the General Data Protection
Regulation of the European Union (EU Regulation 2016/679).

Fixed a problem where the processing of group memberships of a user
could fail if the user was in more than 16 groups.

Fixed a problem where notification center messages for available
software updates and Time Machine issues could crowd each other out.

Version 4.96 (Build 170929)

This version clarifies the (unsupported) state of removing privacy-related
files from Safari 11 and adds the associated documentation.

Version 4.95 (Build 170829)

Performance of the Diagnostic pane has been optimized to better
support configurations with a network-based Time Machine backup
device.

Added an assistance mode for product registration.

Version 4.94 (Build 170712)

Added a user notification to indicate temporary performance problems
when TinkerTool System is communicating with a slow Time Machine
device.

Fixed a problem where the feature for the enforced emptying of the
Trash might not have shown the system volume as possible candidate
under specific circumstances.

Several small optimizations.

Version 4.93 (Build 170125)

This is a maintenance update, enhancing performance in situations after
Time Machine diagnostic features have been used on systems with slow Time
Machine destination devices.

Version 4.92 (Build 161212)

The user interface for Time Machine diagnostics was simplified. It now
works more reliably with network-based backup sets or when using
multiple destination disks.

Version 4.91 (Build 161017)

The handling of custom permissions, access control lists and
extended attributes when deactivating and restoring caches was
enhanced.

Added a workaround for a design issue of OS X El Capitan, relevant
when users are switching back and forth between enabling and disabling
System Integrity Protection while using the smart cache deactivation
features of the application.

To guarantee perfect cache restoration under all circumstances,
smart deactivation for the user’s personal high-speed caches is no
longer offered when using OS X El Capitan.

On OS X El Capitan, conventional cache cleaning is added as
last-resort alternative for the user’s personal high-speed caches and
the core operating system caches, which is otherwise prevented or
limited by System Integrity Protection.

Version 4.9 (Build 160912)

The features to remove hidden Macintosh support files, to clean
Macintosh support files from removable disks, to create links, to
protect files, and to change Macintosh file attributes have been
modified to no longer require privileged operations if they are
executed on disks which are set to ignore file ownership.

Several small changes in the user interface.

Version 4.81 (Build 160831)

Added new feature for OS X El Capitan to change the computer setting
for optimizing system performance for server operations with OS X
Server.

Analyzing log files is now automatically decoupled from application
startup if a high number of logs is detected. Excessive log files on a
computer no longer slow down the launch of the program.

The use of different workarounds for bugs in OS X Yosemite and OS X
El Capitan could create subtle compatibility problems with version 4.8
if operating system, main application, privileged auxiliary program,
and the Standalone Utility have been updated in a specific order.
Launching version 4.81 analyzes this situation and replaces the helper
programs if necessary to resolve such problems.

Version 4.8 (Build 160823)

Added support for upcoming versions of Safari.

Added additional features and documentation to detect cases where
System Integrity Protection is causing internal failures of OS X El
Capitan.

Updated all quarantine features to ensure full compatibility with
the latest versions of OS X.

Resolved minor issues with the compatibility of Safari 9.1.1 and
later.

Better user interface presentation when displaying permission
settings of file system objects which lost their owners.

Enhanced reliability when the tool is used under bad conditions, in
particular when the operating system is exceeding the maximum number
of open communication file handles.

The application now shows concrete instructions how to resolve
specific technical problems when defects of OS X cause the privileged
component not to launch correctly.

Resolved a user interface issue where the topmost entry of the
pop-menu to control IPv6 support was not refreshed correctly directly
after program launch.

The option to control ACL support for the SMB server had to be
removed, because it is no longer working as expected with the latest
versions of OS X.

Most links to external information sources in the user interface and
online help are now using encrypted HTTPS communication.

Fixed a problem where specific files of synchronized iOS devices
were shown with an incorrect date for the feature to clean outdated
log files.

Fixed a problem where the evaluation of memory size could be wrong
under specific circumstances.

Prepared application for upcoming operating systems.

Added support for TinkerTool 6 Preview edition.

Version 4.6 (Build 160518)

Added new registration features for licensing with immediate
gratification and volume licensing.

Added new feature to detect a common corruption of the System
Integrity Protection of OS X El Capitan which is the reason for a
series of system malfunctions.

Added new feature to show the current hardware setting for System
Integrity Protection as part of the Info pane.

For the German user interface of the ACL pane, details in the
wording have been modified to match the changed translations used by
Apple in the latest versions of OS X.

Version 4.52 (Build 160404)

Added preference setting to enable automatic notification for
software updates of the application.

Added item on the Info pane to display the color of the enclosure
for Macintosh systems available in different colors.

Added table to show the full blacklist of kernel extensions
currently blocked by Apple.

The feature to remove ad-injection software of the Genieo type was
updated to detect the latest versions.

The behavior of the security component was optimized for cases where
the operating system was temporarily overloaded exceeding the maximum
number of open files.

Fixed a problem with specific versions of OS X where display of the
modification time of the Xprotect anti-malware database stopped
updating.

Fixed a problem with the user interface of the Special Permissions
tab item of the ACL pane where the Apply button could have
the same function as the Revert button.

Version 4.51 (Build 160229)

This is a maintenance update which doesn’t change core functionality.

Web communication during software update and evaluation checks is
now fully compliant with Apple’s new App Transport Security
guidelines.

Fixed a problem where the security component of the application
could stop responding due to an overload of the task dispatch
management of OS X El Capitan. The application will now give OS X more
time to clean up its internal communication channels before sending
new requests.

Version 4.5 (Build 160120)

Added new feature to disable support for IPv6 on active network
interfaces (OS X 10.10.4 or later).

Added a workaround to control the removal of language support
packages from system software which has contradicting attributes for
System Integrity Protection.

Added a workaround for a layout problem in OS X El Capitan which
could lead to unreadable text in the user dialog to clean host-related
preference settings.

The option to disable compression of virtual memory is now blocked
for users of OS X El Capitan because it could cause issues with the
system kernel.

Enhanced user interface of the Spotlight tab of the System pane.

Corrected a problem where the menu item to remove custom startup
objects could not be selected in the tts Standalone Utility.

Corrected a problem where no picture of the Macintosh model was
shown on the Info pane for specific systems released by Apple in 2015.

Enhanced support for El Capitan users that run a customized
configuration of System Integrity Protection.

Many small optimizations in the user interface.

Fixed a minor problem with the presentation of System Management
information on some Macintosh model series where the program did not
correctly differentiate between unavailable and unimplemented fields.

Version 4.31 (Build 150925)

The reference manual has been updated for OS X El Capitan.

Corrected a problem where the menu item to go back to the preceding
control pane did not work as expected.

Version 4.3 (Build 150818)

Added new privacy feature to remove entries for Recent Searches in
the search field of Safari.

Added new feature to remove adware applications of the category
“Buca/Bundlore Ltd”.

Added new feature to enable the diagnostic startup option to enforce
stricter separation between kernel memory and user memory. It can be
used to protect the system against specific security attacks published
in August 2015, at the expense of performance.

Added feature to change the permission filter for applications
running on the graphical user interface. Apple has reintroduced this
possibility in the latest versions of OS X Yosemite or later, after
removing it for the second time in the history of the operating
system. (OS X 10.10.4 or later is required.)

Added support for future versions of Safari.

Enhanced support for future operating systems.

Corrected a problem where detail error messages could contain
English parts although the user had selected German as preferred
language.

Version 4.2 (Build 150702)

This update is required to maintain compatibility with OS X 10.10.4
or later.

Prepared support for future versions of OS X.

Added feature to enable or disable the use of Trim commands for
AHCI-attached solid state drives of third-party vendors (10.10.4 or
later required).

Added new feature to detect and remove ad-injection software of the
Genieo (InstallMac) type.

Added new feature to check if the Finder is capable of copying
symbolic links that have Extended Attributes.

Added new feature to compare a selected Time Machine backup with the
current data set. This is useful to detect defects in Time Machine.

Added new feature to control the policy whether OS X screen sharing
should protect the privacy of the active user.

Added new feature to disable automatic logins even if FileVault 2 is
enabled.

Added new feature to enable Apple’s basic screen saver for the login
screen and to modify the message it displays.

Added new feature to hide selected local user accounts in the user
list of the login screen.

Added new feature to control whether the SMB file server should
support Access Control List permissions.

Added new feature to reset the privacy decisions that control which
applications have permission to access personal user data in specific
domains.

Several aspects of the user interface to modify legacy HFS
attributes for file system items have been enhanced.

Corrected a problem where the application could show an inaccurate
error message regarding the “PrivilegedHelperTools” folder when
launching for the first time on a fresh installation of OS X Yosemite.

Added a workaround for a problem with OS X Yosemite which could
result in identifying the MacBook Pro 13-inch (Mid 2012) model series
as 15-inch model and vice versa.

Corrected a problem where the application could show an inaccurate
date of production for specific Macintosh model series.

Version 4.02 (Build 141209)

This version adds the complete reference manual.

When repairing the file system of the startup disk, the standalone
version of the application now shows more detailed status messages.

The launch time of the Info pane has been optimized for computers
with a high number of third-party log files.

Added workarounds for several bugs in the system management
framework of OS X Yosemite which could cause the security component of
the application not to be installed successfully.

Added workaround for a problem where a security feature of the
application rejected the execution of specific parts of periodic OS X
jobs when these jobs made unsafe assumptions about the search path
environment.

Enhanced compatibility of the feature to remove language support
files with applications that use incorrectly sealed symbolic links to
simulate multiple language packages.

Corrected a problem where the visualization of the home folder path
was missing on the Info tab of the User pane.

Corrected several typographical errors in the user interface.

Version 4.01 (Build 141024)

This is a maintenance update which fixes minor issues in conjunction
with the first official version of OS X Yosemite:

Corrected a problem with very fast computers where the startup of
the application could take a very long time and the message panel “The
application is checking its privileges” stayed on screen.

Corrected a problem with a cancelled startup of the Caches pane if a
non-native application or an application with a defective icon was
running while TinkerTool System 4 was launching.

Corrected a problem where the search for software products during
the deletion of language support packages was intermittently cancelled
and the progress sheet stayed on screen.

Corrected a problem where a deleted system folder for preference
panes could cause the feature to install the control pane for the
Archive utility to fail. This feature can now repair the folder and
update outdated installations from previous versions of OS X.

The performance of the application was optimized when the user
leaves the pane for code thinning although analysis jobs for processor
architectures were still running in the background.

The height and layout of the Info pane was optimized to enhance
support for Macintosh systems with 11-inch screens.

Version 4.0 (Build 141016)

TinkerTool System 4 requires OS X 10.10 Yosemite or later. It is a paid
upgrade for users who purchased a license for TinkerTool System Release
2 before July 1, 2013. TinkerTool System Release 2 remains available and
can be used on the operating systems Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), Mac
OS X Lion (10.7), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8), and OS X Mavericks (10.9).

Version 4.0 (Build 141016) is a pilot release to give early adopters of
OS X Yosemite the chance to use TinkerTool System already. Because Apple
did not disclose all necessary documentation on Yosemite at this early
time, this version only contains context help, but not the complete
180-page reference manual.

Version 4 focuses back on the operating system itself. All features
related to third-party software or external applications have been
removed. The only exception are functions for programs which had been
part of OS X in the past, such as Adobe® Flash® Player or Xcode.

The application can now exhaust modern hardware to its limits,
making full use of multi-core processors and flash/SSD storage.
Depending on computer model, some features may run up to 20 times
faster compared with previous versions of the software.

All used technologies have been modernized to comply with the latest
guidelines for OS X Yosemite.

The user interface has a completely new layout, but maintains the
known overall design.

The security architecture complies with Apple’s latest standards for
system utilities and uses multi-tier privilege separation.

Support for full keyboard control has been enhanced. The application
can be used without a pointing device.

Accessibility features have been redesigned, enhancing support for
handicapped users.

The Info pane has been rewritten completely and uses a new user
interface.

Added new feature to search for features by keyword.

Added new preference setting to disable any animations when
switching between panes.

Added new feature to clear the DNS client cache as option during the
cleaning of the directory services cache.

Added new feature to recreate the XPC helper cache.

Added new feature to diagnose Time Machine operation by comparing
two selected backups.

Added new feature to show the system’s blacklist for automatically
disabling App Nap in specific applications.

Added new feature to show the system’s blacklist for automatically
disabling high-resolution (“Retina display”) functions in specific
applications.

Added new feature to show the system’s blacklist for automatically
preventing the launch of incompatible applications.

Added new feature to show the system’s blacklist for automatically
deactivating incompatible drivers and other kernel extensions.

Added new feature to select if Access Control Entries should have
implicit or explicit inheritance when propagating permissions in
folder hierarchies.

Added new feature to permit the system to use unsigned kernel
extensions

Added new startup setting to disable the compressed memory feature
of the operating system

The settings to define the style of the login screen have been
reinstated.

The feature to remove support for processor architectures from
applications now additionally supports the pre-configured setting
“keep 64 Bit Intel code only”.

The functions to run the periodic maintenance scripts and for code
thinning in applications have been moved to a pane for legacy
features.

The feature to remove unused preference files was removed, because
the current manner in which such files are handled today no longer
allow to safely determine the usage state of the files.

The pane System Issues has been removed temporarily, giving Apple a
chance to resolve open problems in Yosemite. It will be reinstated in
future free updates of TinkerTool System 4.

The option to ignore applications from Adobe® when removing language
packages is now always enforced. Applications from Adobe® and
Microsoft® won’t be touched.

The user interface to reset permission settings on the system volume
has been removed, because features of the operating system should not
be duplicated in the application.

The user interface to control visibility of the user’s Library
folder has been removed, because it has been superseded by the Finder.

The user interface to define custom MTU setting has been removed,
because it has been superseded by System Preferences.

The user interface for the following system settings has been
removed, because OS X 10.10 is no longer supporting the related
options: launch applications via the creator code of documents,
disable Bonjour Sleep Proxy notifications, disable access to the “App”
part of the App Store, permission filtering for new file system
objects created by graphical applications.

TinkerTool System 4 begins a new product line. The section above lists
changes in comparison to TinkerTool System Release 2 version 3.4. For
more information about the version history of TinkerTool System Release
2, please see the respective application of Release 2.